New Year Ambition: How to Get a Promotion in Nigeria

Will you get a promotion in 2017?

Were you promoted at your place of work last year? If the answer is yes, then congratulations. If however, you were not promoted, we will show you smart ways to get a promotion this year in this article.

When we refer to ways to get you a promotion, we are not referring to becoming more passionate or confident at work. Rather, what we will discuss in this article are specific actions that will leave such a big impression on your employer that you will be considered for a promotion in 2017.

Now to the subject of how to get a promotion, we have ensured that these tips will not only impress your employer but also help you become an employee who is seen as invaluable to the organisation this new year. Below are the tips to help you get that promotion and of course, a bigger paycheck:

Always ask if you can be of help

If you really want a promotion, then you cannot be content with being restricted to tasks that are assigned to you alone. That will not be enough to get you a promotion. Rather, what you should be doing is asking of you can be of help in other tasks other than those that have been assigned to you.

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To get a promotion, you must be proactive and get involved in other tasks and projects that have the capacity to grow the company.

Sitting around and waiting for your boss to hand tasks to you is not how to advance your career..

Take the initiative and offer to help with specific tasks.

Taking notes is very important

The truth is, not everyone takes notes at meetings. What most people do during meetings is to take mental notes and then rely strictly on their ability to recall these details when it is time to execute tasks discussed at meetings.This is precisely why a lot of people never get promoted. In more than a few cases, employees would find themselves reaching out to their bosses to get specific facts that have already been discussed at meetings. No manager enjoys having to regurgitate details that have already been thrashed out at meetings.

If you have questions on certain issues raised during meetings, do not wait until later. Seek clarification on these matters and take notes of the feedback you get. Depending solely on your memory is not always wise.

It is quite easy to forget a few facts or details if you rely on the mental noted you have taken.

Instead, use a pen and jotter; avoid pieces of paper if you can as they can be easily misplaced. Some organisations even permit the use of laptops for note-taking during meetings.

In essence, remember to take notes at meetings as they are especially helpful. They also help your mind revolve more around the subject under discussion and you will be able to ask questions and get feedback.

You cannot afford to gossip

If you are the type of employee who likes to spend time by the water cooler, then you will be deemed unworthy of a promotion.

If you are a chatterbox who likes to spread gist about happenings in the office as well as spending your time talking about the lives of your colleagues, you might as well forget about getting a pay increase this new year.

If you really want a promotion, you must earn the trust of not just your colleague but your boss as well. Not all meetings are general meetings that involve all members of staff of an organisation. If you have been invited to a meeting with your boss, you are expected to keep all matters involved confidential.

As a chatter box, you would also find out that you are spending quite a lot of time talking to colleagues instead of being more productive at work. Managers are quick to notice this habit and will not consider you for a promotion.

To get a promotion, you have to win the trust of your employer, colleagues and others whom you work with.

Don’t be dramatic

At work, your boss expects you to make his/her job easier by taking complete responsibility for tasks and projects assigned to you.

If you are the kind of employee who regularly brings up drama, then surely, you will not be seen to be worthy of a promotion. In the office environment, you would usually find yourself working with colleagues who have quite an array of personalities.

You would be better off if you kept your complaints to yourself. Don’t bring that to work except is has to do with something at work. The less dramatic you are, the better your chances of landing a promotion in 2017.

You should always have a solution

Anyone in the office can walk up to the boss to highlight a problem. The problem might be peculiar to the employee reporting the problem or it might be an issue that affects everyone.

What really sets you apart and will place you in a good position for a promotion is if you do this confidently and regularly.

Don’t just confront your boss with a problem, always have a solution to suggest. At the end of the day, your suggestion might not end up being what is used to resolve the problem but your boss will take note of your penchant for not just coming to him/her with a problem but always having a solution as well.

When you have no solutions to offer to a problem you bring to the notice of your boss, it shows a complete lack of initiative on your part and this would be duly noted. When there is a problem, also think of a way to fix it.

Managers from across Nigeria look forward to promoting employees who can think their way out of a problem on their own. This is one of the qualities leaders look out for when they think of promoting employees.

Be bold enough to tell your boss he/she is wrong

This does not necessarily mean that you should cultivate the habit of arguing with your boss all the time. When you believe your boss is making a wrong decision or looking at an issue from a wrong perspective, be bold enough to step in and politely disagree.

Remember that it is important that you are polite about it. More importantly, you must have facts, instances, examples and figures to support your points and submissions else you might not be taken as seriously as you should be taken.

Bosses enjoy when their thoughts are constructively challenged and followed with an idea of suggestion that is clearly superior.

Final word…

It is not enough to simply dream of getting a promotion in the new year. You have to improve on certain areas of your work as highlighted in the article above.

Find a way to put the tips we have discussed into practice, and you would have put yourself in a prime position for a promotion in 2017.

Do you see yourself getting a promotion at your place of work in 2017? Tell us what you really think.

Website Comments

Hello Funsho,
We appreciate the comment and we are truly happy you found time out of your busy schedule to join us here. Do have a great week. Looking forward to reading your success story here as the year progresses.

Dear Partners in progress, Compliment of the year and Weldon for your good work and inspiring, very educative and informative write up. You’re indeed No 1 job most creative platform in Nigeria that has the pool of jobless people at heart with a solution driving strategies that has helped most of us and several others in Nigeria.

Very good write-up. and I agree that in an ideal environment this will work. However, it is also dependent on the company where you work and the structure there. Overall, these tips are very good, not just for promotion but as a general work attitude.

Hello Burn,
Thanks for the glowing comments. We do agree with the points you raised. Beyond helping you get a promotion, these tips also apply to other aspects of having a positive attitude to work.
We wish you the very best in your career pursuits.

Good afternoon mr. Samod Biobaku,
I sincerely appreciate your article on this platform, quite inspiring.
God bless you for that.
Sir, I really need a job. I’m a B.Sc holder in computer science. I also hold graduduate diploma and post graduate diploma in Data Processing Management and Management Information System respectively.
Thanks and God bless you as link me up to organizations that need my service.

Last year, I got a job through Jobberman. Ever since I visit this blog occasionally to learn more about career advice and workplace issues. The articles here are really interesting and inspiring.
Thing is a good information because with this i’m sure to get a promotion this year. Thank you Samod